Mademoiselle Gabriel: the story of a charming “half-woman”

There are many examples of how people with serious physical disabilities have achieved success in life. One of the most amazing cases can be considered the life of Mademoiselle Gabrielle. She was born without a lower body and became known as "Half-Woman". Despite this feature, her creative and personal life were very eventful.

Very little is known about the life of Mademoiselle Gabriel before the start of her artistic career. She was born in the Swiss city of Basel in 1884. The birth of an unusual girl aroused great interest among doctors. The newborn had no legs, and her body ended in a pelvis. Otherwise, he was a very ordinary child.

The public first saw Gabrielle in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris. There, a 16-year-old girl performed under the pseudonym “Half-Woman.” The audience was delighted with her. They were struck by the contrast of the beautiful face and graceful torso, tightened by the then fashionable corset, with the absence of the lower part of the body.

The debutante was elegantly dressed, well-mannered and knew how to hold a conversation on a variety of topics. She also demonstrated spectacular acrobatic performances, showing excellent physical fitness. Gabrielle attracted the attention of agents and soon received a lucrative contract in the United States.

Mademoiselle Gabrielle was invited to perform first at the Dreamland Circus Side Show and then at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Thus, the girl worked with the most famous circus venues of the early 20th century. In 1912, Gabrielle also appeared on the theater stage. She performed in vaudeville at New York's Hammerstein Theatre.

True, she did not stay as an actress for long and soon returned to the circus. Theatrical agents sued her and after four years of litigation, Gabrielle was forced to pay an impressive penalty for that time in the amount of $2,000. It is worth saying that the case when an actress with such a serious physical disability played in the theater is unique. But the woman was so charming that she was accepted for who she was.

Mademoiselle Gabrielle preferred exquisite Victorian outfits and colorful jewelry. At the same time, contemporaries noted that she behaved modestly and kindly. It was also captivating that the woman demonstrated an independent character and never complained about life. Popularity provided her with a stable, good income, and she could not deny herself anything.

Gabrielle stated that she was “no less than a woman,” although she looked like “half a woman.” She was successful with men and was married three times. A stormy personal life forced her to often change her last name. Her first chosen one was an American named Hunter. The second husband was German, and nothing is known about the third. Due to a change of name, traces of Mademoiselle Gabriel were lost in the early 30s, and no one today knows how she lived the second half of her life.

"Half-Woman" had no legs, but had arms. And Russian Nikolai Kobelkov was born without any limbs. But this did not stop him from becoming a circus star and a millionaire.